Young
by TheShoelessOne
Summary: Jayne's beginning to regret that he saved River's life. Rayne, oneshot.


**Young**

River wasn't letting Jayne forget that he'd saved her life. Hell, he probably didn't even mean to. "Instinct," he'd murmured, trying to brush her off of him. Of course, when River and Jayne returned to _Serenity_ from the bright flashing lights of Beaumonde together, Simon was immediately suspicious. And River didn't help matters as she announced that Jayne had saved her life. Mal was called in before Jayne could deck Simon in the jaw, which was like to happen at any given moment, knowing Jayne. As usual, the captain demanded to know everything, and no one was going anywhere until this was all sorted out. So, the crew sat down in the cargo bay and settled in for a story.

Jayne stood. He wasn't gonna sit, not for this bunch. He crossed his arms defiantly. River looked up at him and just beamed, making him look rather unsettled. Mal waved at the merc impatiently.

"You just gonna stand there with a dumb look on your face or we gonna smooth this matter out?" Mal asked. Jayne grumbled lowly, thankful of being distracted from the dewy-eyed girl sitting o the ground beside him.

"I'm gettin'," Jayne responded. "See, y'all get yerselves riled up for nothin', twitterin' on like... like..."

"Hens," River suggested.

"Hey," he glared back down at her, "I can pick out my own words." He paused, then embarrassedly added, "Like hens. But that ain't the point. Just instinct, s'all."

"Way I remember it, Jayne," Mal added as he leaned back casually, "you wanted that girl and her brother off the ship not too long ago. So why'd you go around savin' her life, is what I wonder." He quailed under Inara's sudden glare. "Not that savin' lives is a bad thing, mind." He cleared his throat, then motioned for Jayne to continue.

"See, me and Kaylee was gonna get out 'n get us some new parts for her and ammo for me," Jayne began. "Just a quick thing, like, but your gorram albatross had t' follow us out."

"Needed things," River claimed, looking very interested in a spot on the floor.

"Yeah, like _what_?" Jayne spat.

She smiled innocently. "For me to know and you to find out." Jayne rolled his eyes.

"Just like a gorram, _feng le_ kid..."

River, in turn, stuck her tongue out at him.

"_Anyway_," Jayne growled, "Kaylee was off someplace or 'nother, leavin' me with the moonbrain. Honest, I tried t' shake 'er into goin' with Kaylee, but she said it smelled funny."

"Smelled yellow. Decay and fermentation; proceed with caution." River picked at something under her fingernail.

"So," Wash puzzled, mussing his hair in thought, "walking around on Beaumonde with the little crazy girl looking for things to shoot out of a gun. So far, I'm not seeing a life-saving situation here at all." Zoe playfully nudged her husband into silence.

"I'm gettin' to it," Jayne grumbled. "So I'm mindin' my own business, tryin' not t' listen to the nonsense she's spoutin' by the second, and Crazy here walks right out in the middle of the street."

"I think I know where this is going," Book said knowingly. "A high-speed vehicle bearing right for the girl, and our brave mercenary dives in for the heroic rescue."

"Yeah," Jayne muttered, "'cept you left out the part where I busted up both elbows and I end up bleedin' from the forehead." Jayne rubbed his fingers against the now-obvious tear in the skin just below his hairline. Kaylee's hands were at her mouth, looking to the doctor.

"Shouldn't Simon look at that?"

As Simon and Kaylee began fervently discussing Jayne's miniscule wounds, the mercenary glanced down at River, his lip slightly curled. She smiled warmly, remembering exactly the way things had happened.

The speeding vehicle in question had been bright blue, and was traveling at a highly illegal speed. She'd seen Jayne's eyes go frighteningly wide, and without so much as a warning, he dove straight at her middle. The wind was knocked out of her, and she hit the ground hard, with his big arms wrapped protectively around her. They tumbled, and he cursed loudly near her ear. Once they'd stopped, and the murderous speeder long-gone, Jayne had slowly released her from his death grip. For one heart-stopping moment, he'd stared down at her with fearful concern--so very, very close. Then, the pain in his forehead had flared up and he rolled off of her, cursing and bellowing like Jayne was apt to do.

Jayne tore his eyes away from River once again, glaring at Simon across the floor. "I don't need t' be looked at. And I told ya the story. Got me so I'm startin' t' regret the whole gorram thing."

"That all 'a it, River?" Mal asked, frankly looking a little bored. The girl nodded silently, smirking to herself. "All right, I'm convinced." The captain levered himself to his feet, brushing off his pants. "Wash, get us out in the world. Kaylee, get yerself in the engine room. Simon, get over it." Before anyone could contest his orders, he was up the stair and out of range.

She waited until after dinner. She found him out, following him into the echoing cavern of the cargo bay and watching from above. As usual, he was doing chin-ups in his quiet way. She quietly stole down the steps and perched herself on one of the crates nearby. He knew she was there, that much was obvious, but he continued his work-out in silence. And she watched him in silence.

At last, he dropped down to his feet, flexed his fingers to get the feeling back, and whirled on the girl. It seemed as though he'd been thinking this over since story-time in the hold, and he'd had all this time to get worked up over it. She winced at the look in his eye.

"Gorramit, girl, don'cha got no common sense?!"

"Plenty of sense," she said as she straightened her spine. "I know more than--"

"I ain't talkin' 'bout smarts," he said quickly. "Talkin' about havin' the sense not t' walk out in front of a movin' vee-hicle! _Wo de mah_, it's like watchin' a kid that don't know no better!"

She pouted, which had more of an effect on him than he would have thought. "Didn't have to save me," she told him quite plainly.

He searched out his words, concentrating very hard. "Didn't wanna explain the mess t' the Cap'n." He grumbled in frustration, sitting heavily on the crate beside her. "You got all the smarts in the 'verse and y' can't even dodge a--s'like you wasn't even payin' attention." He poked a finger in her direction, accusingly. "Ain't got a ruttin' clue. Too young t' be gallavantin' around like y' know what yer doin'."

"Old enough," she insisted.

But he was on a roll now. "No you ain't. S'why the Doc's always hoverin' around you--yer too young t' be out on your own! Too young t' drink, too young t' smoke, too young t'--"

She shut him up quickly closing their gap and kissing him soundly.

He looked like she'd slapped him in the face, slightly dazed. He tried to continue with his train of thought, but it'd been so muddled that he just stuttered. "T-too young t'... to... Whaa?"

"Can't hide anything from me," she purred, lingering close. "Like a book, I can open you up and read all your pages. Can't lie--Jayne _wanted_ to save me."

"Just--" He caught himself, almost afraid to move. "Wait a gorram minute. I'm too old t' go around... like... And yer too young t'--"

She quieted him with a finger on his lips. "Old enough to make my own decisions." She leaned up again, a short, sweet kiss. Surprisingly, she felt his big hand right on the back of her neck, and he pulled her needy against him. Tingling all over at the sudden compliance, she linked arms behind his head, and they were both gone.

"Ain't fair," he breathed between fevered kisses. "Wanted t' do that for--since--hell, you know."

"I know," she responded, searching her fingers in his hair. "Read it in your book."

"Shut up for a second," he muttered, pulling her against him again. She complied completely.

She knew Simon would say the same thing. And the Captain, and nearly everyone she could think of. Too young. Head's not clear. Making bad choices. But she would give everyone the same answer: every damsel falls for the hero that saves her life.

* * *

AN: Heh, surprise, surprise. I write a Rayne fic to the title of a Nickel Creek song. Oh well. This is one of the shortest fics I've written in a long time, but it's the appropriate length for the story, I think. I didn't want it getting too long, because that's not the pace of this one. Don't worry, I'm working hard on the next chap of Zodiac. This was just a nighttime plot-bunny that snuck up on me. Hope you had fun reading, and thanks much! Stay awesome, all you people! 


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